A Guinean appeals court has reduced former Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana’s prison sentence for corruption-related offences, paving the way for his release after more than four years in detention as the country’s military-led government presses ahead with its anti-graft campaign.
News
A Guinean appeals court on Thursday reduced the prison sentence of former Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana from five years to three years and nine months.
The ruling overturned his conviction for embezzling public funds but upheld guilty verdicts for illicit enrichment and money laundering. The revised sentence means Fofana has effectively completed his jail term, having remained in detention since April 2022 while receiving medical treatment in a clinic.
Financial penalties remain
Details
In addition to the prison sentence, the appeals chamber ordered Fofana to pay three billion Guinean francs (about $340,000) to the state and approved the confiscation of part of his assets.
The former premier had been accused of misappropriating 15 billion Guinean francs allocated to COVID-19 response measures and socio-economic programmes.
From prime minister to prisoner
Analysis
Fofana served as Guinea’s prime minister under former President Alpha Condé from May 2018 until the military overthrew the government in September 2021.
His prosecution was handled by the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Offences (CRIEF), a special tribunal established shortly after the coup to investigate corruption and financial crimes.
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